by Barb Biley For over five years all the events leading up to the opening of the new Comox Valley hospital, from the planning, to the choosing of the location, to the construction, the negotiations to transfer staff from St. Joseph’s to the new hospital, have been ‘top secret’ with only occasional rumours to suggest that all was not well. There have been many opportunities for VIHA staff and planners to answer questions from the community and hospital workers and to listen to concerns of workers, including the ‘information sessions’ with representatives of VIHA and of the “private partners”...

by Michael Loevinsohn That’s 130 degrees east of Cumberland, and many meters lower. That’s where I’m writing from: a town called Wageningen in the middle of the Netherlands on one of the branches of the Rhine. A university town, about the size of Campbell River, where I’ve been living for most of the last 10 years. I know the Island well and come by my affection honestly. I hiked what was then the Life Saving Trail, wonderfully unimproved, from Port Renfrew to Bamfield, alone, when I was 18. On my last visit with my wife and youngest son, we spent a few days in Alert Bay, where the world’s tallest totem pole rose over the empty residential school – since demolished – and spoke with one of the men who had carved the pole. My sojourn here is now too long to call an accident and far longer than I ever imagined. It’s been a minor counter-current to the usual flow of humanity of which my parents were part. My father stopped off in The Hague in August 1939, a refugee from Germany on his way to England, where he was interned after Dunkirk and eventually shipped to Canada. We – my wife, kids and I – used to live in The Hague (one of the few places, along with The Island, that gets to claim the definite article)...

by Vanessa Scott The Comox Valley is lucky to have a range of community groups, associations, coalitions and volunteer organizations working to make it a safer, healthier and more sustainable place to live.These initiatives help hold together the fabric of our community well-being. But every issue-specific group works in its own sector, such as education, health or the environment, and there is no one place for groups and citizens to pool their collective intelligence, explore shared priorities and address the big picture issues affecting us all. That’s why the planning committee behind the proposed Comox Valley Community Health Network...

Fans of Monty Python, Mr. Bean, and Dr. Seuss will delight in a rollicking Christmas romp through a world steeped in tea, as James & Jamesy present their uproarious holiday-themed comedy, O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy, as part of their Pacific Northwest Tour. “The Christmas season is a magical time of year that brings people of all ages together; a time when we are encouraged to dream big, embrace imagination, and celebrate a childlike excitement for merriment,” explained Alastair Knowles, who plays Jamesy, the quirky and playful half of London’s three-time Impresario Award-winning duo. “This year’s production maintains the joyous holiday spirit sweeping spectators into an immersive adventure, leaving them bubbling with laughter and brimming with holiday cheer.” After writing a letter to Santa requesting tea, the duo must deal with the catastrophic repercussions that come from having their wish granted. Audience members of all ages join them in their action-packed quest to save the world, ever finding innovative and hilarious solutions to keep them, and their hopes, afloat in a sea of tea. Aaron Malkin, who plays James, added that the duo will be incorporating more of the vibrant fun, meticulous choreography and playful Christmassy adventures that sold out houses last year. “We have new developments to make the whole family squeal with joy: dazzling costumes, floor-to-ceiling projections, new songs and choreography, and magical effects, providing more...

Each Saturday features a delicious recipe from the North Island Chefs Association – and of course all of the wonderful local producers of vegetables, meats, baking, preserves, fish and more! See you at the Native[...]

Explore the natural and created beauty of the Central Island. FREE www.CentralIslandTour.com This is latest evolution of the Central Island Studio Tour – now in its 6th incarnation since May of 2015. Transitioning to a[...]